A New Kind of Cubism

This Art is from a dream I had. I will show you how it goes together as I do it.

    The idea is to have different pictures or portraits on each side of a block of cubes. Then place them down on a surface and spaced apart far enough so you can look at it from every angle and still see the many pictures from the different vantage points, at least somewhat see them. Here is my first experiment.  MORE TO COME

Checkboard Collage Art

 This is what Art Day is all about. Take and unusual painting surface, find interesting images, mediums, and  textures put on your creativity hat and play with imagination. You don’t even have to know where you are going when you start, just start and see where your adventure takes you. You can always paint over it and start in another direction. Don’t be shy.

    I found some checker boards that did not fold in the center at a junk store. They were a $1 a board and cheaper than any canvas with a nice black fabric finish. I covered it with gesso and grabbed a couple images from old magazines. Then added paint and some other photocopied graphics and some handlettering.  I like the result.

    This was an ArtDay project for the older kids and here are some of their creations. Marvelous!!

Grandma Kathy

New and Fun Activities Coming Soon!!

Getting ready to start Grandma's Art Day for the summer!!

Drawing lessons? Puppets? Folding paper games? All sounds like good ideas and all are coming to Grandmas Art Day starting this Sunday. How about GRAPHIC PORTRAITS like this!

Glitter Shoes from Guest Mom

It's all the rage! Glitter shoes for kids. My friend Lisa shopped for glittery embellished shoes for her granddaughter Bodhi. She found them everywhere but the price was "out of this world!" Why buy when you can make! She bought some plain white shoes, dyed them purple and gave them to her friend Tammy who really glammed them up. Tammy used fabric paint in tubes, some glitter and some plain. She sprinkled colored glitter over some areas of paint before it dried. Then added some little hearts to match and there you have it. For the final touch, some ribbon shoelaces. Try it yourself and do your own thing. Try swirls, dots, zig-zags or stripes. Neon colors are big right now. Each pair will be different.

I know Bodhi will just love these.

Pipe Cleaner Hand Puppet

Or you can call it the "Almost Naked Hand Puppet". You can even fool the dog with this one. It's so simple a Cave-Crafter can do it. OK, OK, all kidding aside this is a simple kid project with fun results. Materials are 2 pipe cleaners (any color), two white buttons (3/4"), two black buttons (about 1/4" or so), fast tack glue, and a few pony beads to go into the hair.

First take two pipe cleaners bend in the middle and wrap around your middle finger (not tight). Twist at the top to make a ring around your finger. Glue the two black beads inside the white beads. Position the black beads off to the side then let them dry. Loop both sets of pipe cleaners into a curve to form eye sockets for buttons. Glue buttons into curves, making curves tight to hold eye in place. Twist sets of pipe cleaners together again. With ends that are left, spread out and bend a little to form hair. Push pony beads onto 4 hair strands. Try on your Hand Puppet and have fun.

Trendy Easy Skirts with leggings

My granddaughter and I saw these skirts in all the hip stores for teens and they weren't cheap. I told my Kate we could make them cheaper and she could pick out the fabric. The waistbands are made of 3" black elastic and the skirt part are double-knit fabric (2 pieces, 13 inches X 1 1/2 yards). Sew the 2 pieces together, right-sides together, at 13 inch edge. Gather one of the lengthwise edges (1 1/2 yards). Then pull up strings to measure close to skirt width. With right sides together sew other side seam almost up to top,(do not sew over gathering threads yet, you may have to gather them more or let out some gathers to fit). Measure the black elastic around the low waist or high hip area and add 1 1/2 inches for overlap and fold over. Sew the waistband together by folding over 1/2 inch then overlapping the other end of elastic. Make two rows of stitches 1/2 inch apart to re-enforce waistband. Fit the skirt to the waistband, pin in place, spread out gathers to be equal all the way around skirt. With black thread in sewing machine, sewing skirt to waistband from inside skirt where you can see gathers, making sure to hide gathering threads under band. First stitch line should be 1/2 inch from bottom edge of waistband. Now, turn over to right side and top stitch on waistband close to bottom edge of waistband and straighten gathers as you go. To hem, you can use a serger, great if you have one, if not set your machine on zig-zag, wide width at about medium stitch length and sew at the very edge of the skirt. It will make a "serger like" hem.

Little Button Box

Simple and easy. Metal mint box spray painted gold and covered with special buttons of all shapes and sizes but with something in common. Here the something in common is the colors. Then add a ribbon to the edge, glue in place. For the inside, glue pieces of felt, cut to fit the bottom top and sides. Thats it, you have a cute little tresure box.